The Cascais Museum of the Sea – Rei Dom Carlos I opened in June 1992. It has a collection of mammals and artifacts, some still found in the surrounding waters. Exhibits are in small galleries. Models of mammals are in groups. These include porcupine fish and various types of sharks and the Atlantic Bluefin Tuna. There are also sperm and the pigmy sperm whale.

 

 

 

 

Models of fishermen with their traditional clothes and nets are on display. The fisherwives who also played an important part are shown with their traditional dresses, aprons,  slippers and shoes.

Another gallery houses navigational instruments including compasses and lanterns. A bronze gun cast at Florence dating to the seventeenth century is also part of the exhibits. Cannon balls, also from the seventeenth century, were found in Carcavelos.  Silver coins dating to the eighteenth century were in the São Julião da Barra and Troia waters. Ceramics, mainly vases and jars,  from the eighteenth and nineteenth century  were found in a Dutch ship sunk off Luanda, Angola.

There is a boat gallery showing models of fishing boats and pleasure crafts that once sailed the Tagus.

A curious find is the picnic hamper with kettle and burner dating to the nineteenth century.

 

 

 

You can see old cannons from the Tejo and Sado estuaries. Also Roman vases used to transport fish paste to provincial towns from the Sado estuary.

An audio-visual room to the right side of the entrance shows videos throughout the day.

The Cascais Museum of the Sea is located at Rua Julio Pereira de Mello, Cascais. Open: Tuesday to Sunday: 10am to 6pm.  Closed Monday. Tel:  +351-214815906. Next to the Paula Rego Casa das Historias .